The 35km Paris beltway is characterized by a number of specific features that make driving particularly challenging: scooters and motorcycles driving between lanes, traffic jams, roadworks, faded road markings, priority on the right and short exit and entrance ramps. The Valeo prototype was able to process and anticipate these situations over the full 24-hour period, day or night, demonstrating its unique technological prowess.
INSIDE VALEO CRUISE4U
Valeo SCALA® laser scanner – 1st mass production laser in 2017
Radar cocoon
Caméra cocoon
Algorithm-based software
This breakthrough innovation in mobility is the result of a unique combination of solutions: a Valeo camera; radar and laser scanner technologies arranged around the entire vehicle to form a “cocoon” able to detect any obstacles at distances from as little as 10 centimeters to as much as 200 meters or more; and a sophisticated software program that can process data in real time to effectively analyze the vehicle’s surroundings and adjust its behavior accordingly.
The way it works is very simple: when the situation allows, when the driver selects the automated driving mode designed and developed by Valeo, this mode then takes over driving, steering, accelerating and braking in real driving situations.
The 24 hours spent on the Paris beltway follow the approximately 21,000km driven in the United States in summer 2016 and the 4,000km road trip taken around France in 2015. Valeo Cruise4U now has 125,000km on the clock, 97% of which were driven in autonomous mode, making Valeo one of the most advanced companies in terms of vehicle development.
As leader of the driving assistance systems market and inventor of the Cruise4U technology, Valeo can now promote innovative active safety features and move ahead toward fully automated driving.
